Price
₩800,000
Art protects art
8 out of 10
artists are shut out by banks
354
loans extended to fellow artists
95%
repayment rate — trust comes full circle
~KRW 140M
interest saved vs. predatory rates
Until the next exhibition, the next performance. For artists, income gaps are an unavoidable reality. For fellow artists forced into predatory loans just to afford paint, canvas, and studio rent, proceeds from this artwork become the Seed Fund — extending a fair hand at fair rates.
Voices of fellow artists
“The memory of going hungry for three days, alone, so my children wouldn't know.”
— 50s, theater artist
“I've been putting off urgent dental treatment because I can't afford it. I should be seeing a doctor regularly, but enduring instead of going has become a habit.”
— 50s, actor
“I kept delaying ear treatment because I had no money, and the symptoms in both ears worsened.”
— 30s, musician
“I couldn't pay my hospitalized mother's bills, so we had to delay her discharge, and she had to give up tests and treatment she needed.”
— 50s, actor/broadcaster
“Because of money troubles I had nowhere to go — drifting between gosiwon rooms and rehearsal studios, and for a while sleeping rough.”
— 30s, musician
“Because of unpaid rent, my collective was forced to vacate our shared workspace and home. Neither bank loans nor artist loans could help.”
— 50s, actor
“Without money, life collapses — and creating art? Out of the question.”
— 50s, artist
“It's painful that solving this month's money problems has to come before the work itself. As an artist, I can only earn well when the work succeeds — yet I have to chase odd jobs every month instead. It feels like being trapped in a vicious cycle.”
— 40s, musician
“Debt collection calls disrupted my rehearsals and performances, and the psychological burden made every day painful and the next day frightening.”
— 40s, theater artist
“Many times the loan payments looming each month forced me to step away from performing and focus on part-time work.”
— 50s, actor
“Sleeping less than four hours a night, juggling part-time jobs and theater — but the more I performed, the more debt piled up. Eventually I decided to quit performing.”
— 30s, actor
“When things were hardest, I couldn't even attend close friends' weddings or funerals — and as a result, relationships were severed.”
— 50s, actor/broadcaster
“When I said I was a stage actor, the loan officer called me "unemployed."”
— 50s, actor
“The shame and severed friendships that came with borrowing from people I knew, the pressure of failing to pay it back, the helplessness.”
— 50s, cartoonist/visual artist
“Even with programs meant for low-income citizens, I feel shame when I can't produce enough documentation simply because I'm an artist.”
— 30s, film/broadcasting professional
One artwork becomes the oxygen that keeps a fellow artist creating.
Sales proceeds go to the artist mutual-aid fund.
텅빈충만
Ryu Yeonbok
- Exhibition
- Oh Yoon Terracotta Relief Exhibition
- Category
- Printmaking
- Material
- 한지에 채색목판 What's a print? →
- Size
- 46×45.9cm · Size 8 · Small How big is this? →
- Year
- 2014
- Price
- ₩800,000
- Availability
- For sale
About the Artist
Ryu Yeonbok was born in Gapyeong, Gyeonggi Province, studied in Seoul, and entered the world of Minjung (People's) Art in earnest when he enrolled at Hongik University's College of Fine Arts in 1977. His simple belief that 'beauty should be enjoyed by many' became the driving force behind founding the Seoul Art Community upon his graduation in 1984 and leading the mural movement through the mural team 'Shipjangsaeng.' In 1985, he organized the 'Eulchuk Year Art Grand Festival,' a marketplace-style event where ordinary people could purchase artworks for as little as 5,000 won. In 1986, he was involved in the exhibition The Power of the Twenties in Korean Art, which was shut down by police. In 1989, prior to Lim Su-kyung's visit to North Korea, he traveled to the United States to create large-scale banner paintings and prints to send to the North. Woodblock printing is a medium characterized by relatively easy production and virtually unlimited reproduction. These qualities were of great importance to Minjung Art artists, who aimed not only for the public to view art but also to create it themselves, opposing the exclusive enjoyment of art by a wealthy elite. Consequently, printmaking became highly prevalent during the 1980s under the influence of the people's movement, and woodblock printing was particularly welcomed for its connection to tradition. Ryu Yeonbok skillfully brought out the rough texture of the chisel inherent in woodblock printing, expressing a harmonious balance of dynamic figures and backgrounds within simple compositions.
Key Career Highlights
Related materials
Kyunghyang Shinmun · Original Korean article
This article text is currently available in Korean. Open the source to read the original version.
Korean media · Original Korean article
This article text is currently available in Korean. Open the source to read the original version.
Korean media · Original Korean article
This article text is currently available in Korean. Open the source to read the original version.
Korean media · Original Korean article
This article text is currently available in Korean. Open the source to read the original version.
Korean media · Original Korean article
This article text is currently available in Korean. Open the source to read the original version.
Magazine
Korean Contemporary Printmaking — Five Lineages at SAF
Contemporary Korean printmaking, read through five artists at SAF 2026 — from Lee Cheolsu's woodblock Zen to Kim Jonghwan's broken-printer sculptures.
Apr 20, 2026 · Seed Art Festival
Ryu Yeon-bok: The Depth of Printmaking, the Grain of Life
Ryu Yeonbok walks the land before he carves it. Baekdu, Geumgang, Dokdo, the DMZ — places crossed by feet, then carved into wood.
Apr 8, 2026 · Seed Art Festival
Why an Original Costs 10x More Than a Print by the Same Artist
Why does a print cost $300 while the original by the same artist costs $3,000? Three forces explain it: supply, scarcity, and signature premium.
May 3, 2026 · Seed Art FestivalOther works by Ryu Yeonbok
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Price
₩800,000
Two beginnings made by one piece
- For you —
- One of a limited edition
- For the artist —
- the pride of standing with a peer
- For a fellow artist —
- a new ₩3,000,000 path of low-interest support
354 artists have walked this path of recovery; 95% returned to open it for the next.